The Douglasville City Council unanimously approved a resolution Monday night to change its method of compensation from a per-meeting basis to a monthly salary basis.

Mayor Harvey Persons said that there had been much discussion regarding the elected officials’ compensation by himself and the city council since January when the new administration had taken office.

“We are moving forward toward a monthly salary basis,” said Persons. “We are currently having discussions to have an ordinance that will properly compensate the mayor and council.”

The council’s action follows the recent indictment of Persons’ predecessor, Mickey Thompson, on charges he was paid for attending meetings and events not authorized for compensation in his position as mayor.

In other action, the city council voted to table a request for a 12-month hunting permit by John Rooker, vice president of Rooker Riverside LLC. until the council’s Oct. 11 work session and Oct. 15 voting session. The property is a future site of the Riverside West Business Park.

The council also adopted a resolution authorizing the mayor to sign a service agreement with the Douglas County Continuum of Care Coalition Inc. for housing assistance provided through the Douglasville/Douglas County “Street to Home” program in exchange for a $5,000 payment from the city.

Charles Branson, a volunteer with the Street to Home program, thanked the council for approving the resolution.

“I just wanted to come up and thank the mayor and council for supporting the program,” said Branson, who cited a 75 percent success rate in getting the homeless into housing.

The program is a collaboration of a number of local organizations to improve the plight of the homeless, explained Persons.

“The amount of money that was donated to that program is indicative of the commitment of this mayor and this council on behalf of the homeless,” he said.

Persons added that the county is going to match the $5,000 and United Way has pledged an additional $30,000 in funds for the program.

The faith-based community has committed $10,000 to the local homeless initiative, he said, and the business community is working to come up with an additional $10,000.

The Georgia Department of Community Affairs will also provide funding for the program.

The council recognized several city and county law enforcement officers Monday night, issuing a proclamation praising their work in the community and to commend the Douglas County’s Sheriff’s Office for hosting the North American Police Dog Association Georgia State Workshop this week.

Sheriff Phil Miller, Lt. Mike Barnhill, who has organized the weeklong event for the second year, and other representatives from the city and county K-9 teams were present for the reading and signing of the proclamation.

More than 100 K-9 teams from across the country and internationally were to come to Douglas County this week for intensive officer-canine team training. The national association has announced that Douglas County will host the event for a third year in 2013, and has announced that the county will host the national workshop in 2015.

Barnhill said that the national event should bring 300 or more K-9 unit teams to the county in 2015.

In other action, the council appointed Paul Laseter to the Post 8 position on the Keep Douglasville Beautiful (KDB) Board to complete a term expiring Dec. 31, 2013.

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